Stockholm Syndrome
by fairytailheart
Summary: Stockholm Syndrome: When a hostage develops feelings of trust, affection, or even love towards their captor. Or in Levy's case, all three... Gajeel and Levy fan fiction (with some NaLu) Princesses and Dragons AU. RATING MAY CHANGE
1. Prologue

**Stockholm Syndrome**

_**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES**_

**Hello there!**

**First of all I would like to thank anybody who read and/or reviewed my two other works: Just One Kiss and Ice Make. Its not much, but it is a lot for me as somebody who is just starting out.**

**Anyway, this is the prologue/ introduction thingy for my multi-chapter GaLe/ Gajevy fan fiction. I came up with this idea over a few days of thinking constantly about what I could do.**

**I cannot promise weekly updates, as I am quite busy with dance training and competing and school or course. And I am genuinely a bit of a procrastinator. Maybe monthly updates? All I know is that updates will not be scheduled updates, so I ask that you still be patient.**

**Enjoy this introduction!**

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Darkness. All she could see was darkness.

Dark shadows in every corner, dark walls around her, a dark floor beneath her small feet. There was only a single sliver of light seeping through the crevice under the door. Besides her hair and clothes, there was no color. Besides her racing heart and her heavy breathing, there was no sound. There was only her and the darkness; a beast swallowing her whole.

'Dark' was also the only word to describe her captor.

She had no words forming in her throat to describe time. She hadn't a clue how long she had been locked in there. Days? Weeks maybe? There was no clock on the wall, no window to let the light of the setting and rising sun through. She only had her thoughts and her body's own timer. She only had the clothes on her back and an old, rotting mattress in the corner.

She had nothing else. No reason behind her captivity, nothing to read or write on. There was nothing to entertain her at all.

So, she kept busy by listening to the sounds on the other side creaky door. She spent hours with her ear pressed against the rotting wood, catching the tiniest sounds like a pin dropping to the floor. But mostly all she heard was the shuffling of feet and quiet, hushed voices forming incoherent sentences. She would strain herself in hopes of making out the words that were being said, but she never succeeded.

Despite the fact that she was kidnapped out of the blue by a terrifying and dark figure, she never cried once. It was like her body had run out all of a sudden, like it was telling her that crying would do no good. Not a single tear slipped down her cheeks. Even when her stomach ached for food, even when the silence became too loud, even when her body screamed desperately for a proper bed and sunlight, she did not cry.

It wouldn't do her any good anyway. She was locked in a sickeningly dark and lonely cellar, guarded by her captor and lacking the heat she needed to stay warm. She couldn't do anything to free herself. There was no window to climb out of. It was impossible to dig through the stone floor with the bare hands that once picked delicate roses from blooming gardens. She had no tools, her body was small and dainty, and even if she could escape she had no idea where she was or how she could get home.

Home. That was where she needed to be.

She needed to feel the freedom of roaming down wide and golden corridors, to admire the marble statues carved by the most talented, careful hands and lining the walls to be admired. She needed to be outside in the castle's large garden where the sunlight would kiss her soft skin and comfort her with warmth. She needed to pampered and cleaned and dressed in gowns made of the finest silk, hair curled to perfection without a single strand out of place. She needed to be in her library with ceiling high shelves of books and tombs and spines made of leather, with thousands of words painting vivid pictures in her mind.

But mostly, she needed her people. She needed to be surrounded by the familiar and smiling faces of her friends and the proud grins of her parents. She needed to feel the joy that came with being around the people she loved, the comfort and protection that came with her two best knights, and the laughter that always sounded from the courtyard and village below.

Something kept nagging at her and telling her that she was there for a reason. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that it was her destiny to be there, locked away and shut out from whatever was on the other side of the door. She needed a straight out answer, but whenever she managed to ask her captor when he slipped small plates of food into the room, he would always respond with a grunt and nothing more.

It angered her, to be ignored and to not have the answers to her many questions. She was so used to having all the information she wanted at her finger tips, to always having all the attention on her. She didn't get any of that now, and it irritated her to the very core. She wanted answers. She wanted attention. She wanted to be back in the palace and out of the darkness.

Levy McGarden was royalty. She was a princess, and if a princess is locked in a tower, she is not supposed to escape.

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**So that was that.**

**Please leave a review! I want to know how many people would actually be interested in this if I continued! Don't be shy, I'm about as scary and dangerous as a baby penguin!**

**Thanks**!


	2. Chapter 1- Safety

**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES**

**So... Here it is!**

**I am so sorry for the long wait, it took a lot longer than I expected it to. It would have been up a month ago but I was suddenly bombarded with a dance competition so I had to put this on the back burner. I am just genuinely very slow at updated multi-chapter things anyway. But I got some encouragement and this first official chapter of Stockholm Syndrome is finally here!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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**Stockholm Syndrome- Chapter 1**

In the thick shadows of a darkened chamber, where the walls were made of heavy stone and wore veils of cobwebs, a young woman lay on a rotten mattress in the corner. Her tiny knees were curled up to her chest, her tangled blue hair splayed out around her head. The deep green gown that adorned her petite frame was torn and ripped in many places, exposing morsels of her pure, unscathed skin to the chilly air. The silence of the room was screaming in her ears as she lay there, unable to empty her mind and go to sleep.

She shivered at the cold air around her and hugged herself impossibly closer. She hadn't felt warmth in days. She hadn't seen the sun in weeks. There was no comfort in the stone cell, no light and no company. Nothing but her, a princess, Levy McGarden.

She rolled over, listening to the rusty creak of the springs in the mattress. It took her no more than a few seconds to give up on sleep, and she sat up with a frustrated huff. Dainty fingers ran through her blue locks as she glanced around the room for the millionth time.

"I need books..." Her voice croaked, her heart longing for the stories she once read on a daily basis. So clearly could she remember the feeling of pages flitting between her finger tips, the leather spines pressed against her lap, and the scenes playing out in her mind as she read the beautiful words. "I need to read."

Levy's back pressed against the cold wall behind her. Her head tilted back and her eyes fluttered shut as if sleep had finally come to her. With an ache in her chest, she settled with her day dreams and memories...

_***Flashback***_

_The suspense was killing her. Her teeth were digging into her bottom lip, turning the flesh a deep red and coming very close to drawing blood. Her toes were curling and uncurling in her shoes and her fingers itched to turn the page. The hard pitter patter of her heart could so easily be mistaken for a heart attack, the pounding in her temple like a migraine. Her heels lifted up and down from the cushion beneath her body._

_ "Come on..." She whispered to herself. The fluttering sound of a turning page echoed in the large library, the only other sound despite the humongous space and the many people that roamed the palace. Her cheeks turned red from frustration. If it wasn't for the fact that anybody could be right outside the door at any moment, she would be screaming at the characters by now._

_ She was so into it, so desperate to keep reading that she didn't hear the creak of the door opening. A long figure dressed in metal armor and a large sword at his hip wandered into the library, stalking towards her._

_ "Princess." The figure spoke firmly. _

_ Levy jolted, her book flying out of her hands and tumbling down to the floor. "Jet!" She exclaimed in surprise, pressing her palm to her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart. "You scared me. How long have you been standing there?" She asked him, swinging her legs over the edge of the couch and brushing off her gown._

_ "Not very long." The orange hair knight gave a small shrug. "You should have heard me come in, but you were really into your book, your highness."_

_ The blue haired princess carefully bent down to pick up her book. She fixed the crooked pages and brushed her fingers over the leather covers. She then lifted her head and gave her knight a warm smile. "Jet, please. How many times must I tell you to call me Levy? We've been friends since we were littluns. Being my guard does not change that."_

_ Jet nodded marginally, watching his princess as she stood up from the couch. Her light orange gown hugged her tiny frame and cascaded down to the floor in brightly colored waves of fabric. Her lips still played in a smile, one that made his affection for her do weird things. "Alright your high- Levy."_

_ She giggled. Her heeled boots clicked against the stone floor as she headed towards the ceiling high shelves to the far left. The knight followed her closely, but far enough away to give her her respected personal space._

_ Nimble fingers traced over lettered spines when she spoke again. "Is there something you are here for?" She asked softly. She prodded her fingers in between the hard covers in an attempt to find a spot for the book in her other hand._

_ Dark hazel eyes watched her every move. "I just came to check up on you." He replied casually. "That is my job, to make sure you are safe and secure. Droy is occupied with another job, so it's just me."_

_ Nodding, Levy managed to squeeze her novel in between two thin books. "I'm safe Jet." She said. "There is no crime here in the kingdom. Nobody has ever broken into the castle that we know about. Nobody of the royal family has been seriously harmed by another person in over fifty years. I do not need you and Droy at my side at all times. I am perfectly safe."_

_ The knight was quiet after her attempt at reassuring him. She had just assumed her words had ended the conversation as she searched for another novel._

_ Never once had the princess felt at risk of getting hurt or worse. Never once had she felt scared to sleep alone, or scared to go outside. Never once had she thought she, her family, or anybody in her kingdom was at risk of getting killed. Ever since she was able to understand some of the world around her, she had always felt comfortable and secure in her home. That was why she was confused when her father assigned her two best friends to her personal guards. What was the need of it? Was she not as safe as she thought she was?_

_ "Well actually..." Jet finally spoke up, his voice a bit dark and unwavering. "I also came in to tell you that the King has requested your presence in the throne room. He said it was something important about..." He hesitated. "About your safety, in fact." _

_ "What?" Levy stopped in her tracks with her hand frozen in the air. "But I just-"_

_ "Please your highness. Ask your questions to the king." He leaned forward ever so slightly in a bow. "Let me escort you to the throne room."_

_ Her hand was enveloped by his gloved one before she could even argue. She stumbled after him, holding up the skirt of her gown so she wouldn't trip up over it. She was over come with worry, for herself and for the fact that her guard was basically going against the rules of his job by dragging her._

_ The long-term friends rushed down the extensive corridors of gold and white and silver, passing maids and knights that looked on in confusion. They turned corner after corner, left and right, until finally Jet pulled her to a stop in front of ceiling high, wooden doors hand crafted and filled with intricate designs. Levy stared up at the door to the throne room, a heavy feeling in her chest. She glanced to Jet who kept a straight and emotionless face. But in his eyes she could see... something._

_ Pushing against the center of the doors they opened up for them, revealing the stunning throne room on the other side._

_ The throne room was the largest room in the palace of course. The walls were made of white marble and large rectangular windows were everywhere she looked. Tall pillars painted with gold designs lined the walls and held up the stone lofts were civilians could over look important events when given permission. There were even more marble statues between the pillars. On the floor was a large red carpet with silver lining that lead right from the door and to the thrones. The sunlight coming in through the windows made the silver and gold glow. Down the center and at the other side of the throne room were the thrones themselves. They were up on a rise that could be described as a small stage with a tiny flight of stairs also covered in red leading up to them. The thrones were large and made of gold, molded by the finest artists and blacksmiths with the softest cushions placed on their seats. Lastly, the ceiling was covered with detailed paintings of angels and demons, dragons and knights and the past kings and queens. A chandelier, supported by a seemingly invisible rope, hung from it and sparkled like brilliant diamonds._

_ Levy stepped inside in front of Jet, her hands crossed and held on her abdomen. She locked eyes with her parents who sat perfectly still in their thrones ahead of her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and headed towards them._

_ "Thank you Jet. You may leave now." The queen's gentle voice spoke. Levy momentarily looked over her shoulder to glance at the knight as he bowed and slipped out of the throne room to no doubt stand by the door._

_ "Good morning Levy." The king smiled at his loving daughter. "Were you reading in the library again?"_

_ The princess, now at the stairs, nodded her head courteously. Her sky blue locks fell in front of her eyes like feathers. "Yes father. I was in the library again. You know I love to read." She grinned sweetly. She looked up to meet her father's eyes; the same shade of hazel her own eyes adorned._

_ The woman at his side laughed airily, the laugh that made everybody's heart warm and their lips smile. "My, I don't think there is a single book in there that hasn't been touched and read by you, my princess." She said to her daughter._

_ "Actually, that is incorrect." Levy piped up, lifting a single finger into the air as if to show a point. "The ones on the tip top shelves I still can't reach, even with the stools. I do not know if you have noticed, mother, but when it comes to the vertical aspect of my body I am quite challenged. I got it from you."_

_ The three royals laughed at that. The sounds echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls and the ceiling. Their laughter filled the throne room with a wave of warmth and happiness. It was a feeling that Levy was used to. The palace was always full of smiles and a sense of joy that most didn't have. The village was just the same._

_ "Okay okay..." The young woman giggled. "Jet said you had something to discuss with me." She purposely left out the part about her safety, believing that it was just his way of convincing her to come along with him and get her out of the library._

_ Suddenly, the warm and smiling faces of her parents turned serious. Her father straightened his back, a simple sign that immediately told Levy she was about to hear something she didn't want to hear._

_ "Levy..." He started. "Recently, our knights guarding the borders have been reporting uh... sightings. They have reported dark figures in the sky and sometimes in the trees and they say the keep hearing odd sounds. They suspect some sort of creature we haven't discovered yet."_

_ Chills ran down the princess's spine at this short explanation. Unknown creatures? Odd sounds? She had never heard of such things in all her life. She had always known who was around and what was around. She had always been aware of the creatures that lived in the forests on the outskirts of her kingdom. She had always known, always been prepared, but this?_

_ "How... How have they described these creatures so far?" She asked apprehensively. Her fingers shivered and inconspicuously gripped the skirt of her dress._

_ The two royals glanced at each other for the briefest of moments as if asking each other if they thought it was alright to tell her. What harm would come of it anyway?_

_ The King spoke again. "They have described them as... dark, with large bat like wings. Not overly large, with human shaped bodies. But they have always appeared later at night so of course it has been very difficult for them to get a good look. They seem to have some sort of paws or hands with talons, and what could only be assumed as tails protruding from their bodies. We have no idea what they could be. They can only see silhouettes."_

_ Levy's mind started searching through its own archives, hoping to find something that matched the vague description she was given. Couldn't be one of those birds of prey, or those griffins that often caused trouble among the livestock. If it had wings, it couldn't be a wild boar or a bear or giant lizards. Human like bodies, wings, a tail, talons..._

_ "Dragon people." The idea suddenly came rushing to the front of her mind. Memories of paintings and stories of those creatures flooded her head. "They must be dragon people." There could be no other explanation! They fit the description, and their mysteriousness fit their nature perfectly. She knew she was right, that her father couldn't disagree with her at all. It was simple. But there was one problem with her answer..._

_ "Don't be ridiculous, Levy." Her father chuckled. "We killed off those disgusting monsters years ago! Don't you remember? You watched the troops leave that morning. They can't be dragon people, because they no longer exist."_

_ "But they fit the-"_

_ "No buts. I know that it is impossible for them to be dragon people. We recorded all four thousand of them dead."_

_ The young princess lowered her gaze to the floor, ashamed that she even questioned her father's words. But in her defense, he wasn't making any sense and his memories seemed to be messed up. She remembered that day, remembered reading the documents of it in the library. The knights that had went out had admitted to missing a few, that they had escaped before they could be poisoned by the gas that the knights released into their caves. Did her father forget? Or had the knights lied to him?_

_ Either way, there was still a group of unknown creatures floating around her kingdom, threatening to disturb the decades of peace they had kept in their little home of Magnolia. The thought that they could strike at any point in time terrified her. What would happen to her people? What would happen to the food and their homes? What would happen to her and her family?_

_ "Have you..." She began slowly, toying with her own little fingers. She took a moment to clear her throat. "Have you gone to Crocus?"_

_ "What do you mean, gone to Crocus?" Asked the Queen, tilting her head in confusion._

_ "Well, their regiment is much larger than ours, is it not?" She pointed out. "Maybe you should send a message asking if they have seen the same things around there. They might have some more information on the creatures as well, with their larger archives. If they do have the same problem or more information, you and their King could set up an organization to hunt the creatures down and figure out what they are. They could be extremely dangerous and just waiting for the right time to attack. If you work together then maybe you could keep both kingdoms away from danger, save the people and maybe even fix that stupid grudge you have with each other."_

_ It took no more than a few minutes of hesitation for the King of Magnolia to give in to his daughter's suggestion. He figured that it was time to fix up that small disagreement between his kingdom and the city of Crocus. Then and there he decided that he would send a message later that day, thanking his daughter for her smarts and giving her the briefest of hugs._

_ "Alright, you can go on now." The King smiled to her, waving her off towards the door. "I know we interrupted your reading by sending Jet."_

_ The princess smiled sweetly. "Oh no no no, I was finishing up the book anyway. Will I see you at dinner?"_

_ "Of course you will."_

_ Levy smiled even wider, waving to her parents as she wandered down the carpet once more and headed for the large wooden doors at the other side of the throne room. Though she kept up a sweet, bright facade as she went to exit the room, in her head she was shivering with anxiety and disbelief. Her fingers itched to pinch herself. But she knew it couldn't be a dream. There really WAS danger lurking on the outskirts of her kingdom, threatening to cause trouble and harm at any time. And, judging by how long it has been since the first report... it had to be soon._

_ Then, Levy wondered, that couldn't be all he had to tell her. A sudden feeling washed over her, a feeling that there was something he must have forgotten to mention before he sent her off. Something important. Something she would definitely need to know about._

_ When the princess pushed open the doors to see not only Jet, but four other guards there waiting for her, she didn't need to hear anything else._

_***End***_

"There should have been more..." Came her own whisper as the memories in her head faded away like footprints in the sand. "There should have been more guards there for me."

There was nothing but shadows and dust and stone to talk to. They couldn't communicate, so why did she even bother speaking when there was nobody but herself to reply?

Nimble fingers dragged through dirty blue hair as the young woman leaned forward against her knees. "Stop it Levy... he did what he could... Daddy did what he could." She told herself, ignoring the growling in her stomach. "They... The guards wouldn't have been strong enough..."

Continuously she whispered small encouragements to herself. She told herself that her dad and the knights had done all that they could to protect her. She told herself that she would see them again. She told herself that the creature, the thing with the voice of a man, would release her some day. It was all she could do to keep the insanity that was creeping into her at bay.

She was a strong young woman. There was no way she was going to let herself break down and fall into the pits of insanity at this age. There was no way she was going to give up on her freedom, that she could see like a mountain in the distance that she just couldn't get to yet.

She lifted her head again, her lips parting to form the cries of anger and anguish she rarely released, when the moldy wooden door creaked open.

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**Soooo there you go!**

**I am sorry if the ending was a bit rushed, but I got excited to put this up!**

**Yes, Levy is the princess of Magnolia. I know that there is no information about her parents so these are totally made up characters that we won't look much into.**

**I am also sorry if there is anything that confuses you in this chapter. I would be happy to answer your questions unless it is part of the plot to confuse you.**

**Also, I may or may not take requests. If you want to make a request for filler chapters in the future then I might accept them! but for now, I won't be taking any.**

**That is it for now! Sorry if I made some of you impatient. Its a slow start but things will get interesting soon. Please remember that anything in italics will be flashbacks and there will be a lot of those!**

**I guess that is everything! Hope you continue reading! Please review and stuff, and don't be afraid to point out anything you think I should work on.**

**I say sorry a lot**

**Sorry.**

**~fairytailheart**

**P.S- Keep an eye out for a new one shot or two in the near future ;3**


	3. Chapter 2- Shadows

_**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES**_

Tada! Here it is, the second official chapter of Stockholm Syndrome!

Thank you to all of you who have read the prologue and the first chapter and have left reviews. It's not a lot, but it means so much to me. So thank you!

Apparently this chapter isn't as long as the previous one, but I promise that I will try to make future chapters longer, when the story really gets going!

Anyways, please read the author's note at the end and enjoy this chapter!

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**Stockholm Syndrome- Chapter 2**

It was a sound that hurt her ears, the creak of the door was. It echoed inside her head and sounded like claws on a chalk board in the quiet chamber. The rusty hinges screamed into the darkness and forced her to cower into the farthest corner. Her hands flew up to her face as if the squeaking was a physical thing that could harm her. Warm air flew into the chilly room and over her skin, giving her a momentary sense of comfort and safety.

But the fact was that it wasn't the sound of the door opening that scared her. It was the what- the _who- _on the other side of it, forcing it open and revealing a little glimpse of the warmly lit corridor outside. The light though, was blocked by a tall and terrifyingly dark figure.

Sensing his presence, Levy curled into herself even more. His very shadow scared her, made chills run down her spine. Stuck in the tiny stone room peppered with shadows, she should have known that the obscurities on the ground and on walls wouldn't hurt her. But this one would. _His _shadow would.

The figure stepped into the chamber. Footsteps were heavy on the stone floor, making the princess squeak quietly. She felt his movement, felt him come closer and closer to her at a painstakingly slow pace. She felt the aura around him, the one that seemed to swallow her whole during the very rare times when he entered her little cell. She felt his eyes on her and how they seemed to be trying to gouge into her and take her apart from the inside out. She felt it _all._

And then he stopped. In the quiet of the room she could hear his heavy breathing. He stood in front of her. She didn't have to look to know that much.

_Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me..._

Suddenly, the sound of thin and hallow metal against the hard floor sounded near her feet. It was just a tiny 'clink', and it was very familiar to her. It was one of the very few things she heard in her time there and it always brought a little warmth into her stomach. She briefly ran her tongue over her dry lips, and removed her hands from her face.

Sure enough, on the ground at her feet was a plate of food. It didn't look very warm or appetizing as it was only a few slices of bread, a cooked slab of meat, and a piece of cheese, but it was enough. It was food nonetheless. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled at an embarrassing volume, but she didn't pay that no mind. She was so _hungry..._

"Eat."

With a sudden shriek Levy almost leaped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. It frightened her, not only because it had been so quiet in the room but also because she had never heard him speak before. It had always been little grunts or nothing at all. His voice was deep and gruff, sending a shudder through her tiny body. Even his voice was scary...

Despite all that, the plate of food at her feet was still there and there was nothing she would do to let herself forget about filling up her stomach.

With hesitancy, the princess moved her body so that her legs curled in under her and she was kneeling on the cold, hard ground. Her small hand reached out towards the plate and she grabbed the cheese first.

She tried to ignore him standing there, with his menacing aura and his eyes glued to her as she ate. She tried not to look up and catch a glimpse of him, she tried not to cry, and she tried not to cower away again. She really did.

But she failed, and before she knew it her head lifted and she was staring into the eyes of a _demon. _ They were red like the blood he was bound to have spilled, with dark narrow pupils. They seemed to glow in the darkness, and they held depths that nobody could reach. She could see his shadows in them, see his impurities... She couldn't see his face, only his large silhouette.

They stared at each other for the longest time, but there was no peace between them. Only her fear and his chilling possessiveness. The air was thick, pressing against her chest like a large hand.

She couldn't look away. His eyes held her there with imaginary chains wrapped around her body.

Then he stood and grew larger as he did watched him as he turned on his heels, stalking towards the old door with hefty steps. She squinted her eyes in hopes of seeing, even just catching a glimpse, of what he looked like.

She did. The last thing she seen before the door closed behind him was a pair of fleshy wings and scaled talons instead of hands.

The door closed, locking her in.

Levy didn't realize she was holding her breath until her lungs began to burn and her vision dotted with white. She released a heavy exhale and finally relaxed, leaning to the side on and falling on her hand. "Oh my..."

Her food still lay on the floor untouched and begging to be eaten. She didn't waste any time and with shaking fingers she made herself comfortable and fed herself the cheese and meat and bread.

_***Flashback* **_

_Levy didn't want to get up. She didn't want to remove herself from the comfort of her king sized or leave the safety of her bedroom. She didn't even know if her own bedroom was safe anymore._

_ "Your High- Levy!" Came Droy's voice from the other side of her bedroom door. His knuckles rapped viciously against the wood. "Your dinner is ready Princess! Jet and I are here to escort you to the dining room!"_

_ With a groan of frustration the blue haired princess sat up on her bed and swung her legs over the edge. "I'm coming!" She replied to the knight, sliding off. Her blankets followed but she didn't bother fixing them. Instead, she smoothed down her gown and brushed through her hair with her fingers._

_ Opening the doors she was greeted by her two closest friends and personal knights. Like Jet, Droy was tall and lean and strong, with tan skin and darker hair and a slightly calmer but more worrisome personality than the orange haired male. She smiled at the two._

_ "I hope you don't mind that I didn't answer your right away, as I should have." She said. "I was quite comfortable so I didn't want to move."_

_ "Oh, it's no problem." Jet replied as he and Droy both offered their arms to her. The two males glanced at each other, both scowling._

_ "Thank you." The oblivious princess looped her arms through theirs, placed between them as they began to walk her down the hallway. With them by her side she felt as safe as she ever knew she could be. She had no idea what was going on between them._

_ You see, the two Knights had been friends with Levy since they were able to walk. They were the sons of the Dukes and Duchesses that regularly visited the King of Magnolia to deal with, well, whatever dealt with. So they were often around the Princess, playing games in the palace gardens and chasing her down the halls. Over the years they had both become victims of her charm and soon found themselves hopelessly in love with her and everything she was. They had both been rejected in seconds after they each confessed, but that didn't stop the two from constantly trying to win her affections. Although they had to tone it down once they found themselves as her knights, their rivalry continued to live and blossom between them. Sure they were friends and would never hurt each other, but the fact their hearts held feelings for the same beautiful girl made their relationship a little less comfortable as it should have been._

_ "Yoohoo!" Levy's voice knocked them both out of their own thoughts. They glanced down at her. "Did you guys hear me at all?"_

_ The young men laughed nervously and guiltily, causing the Princess to glare at them._

_ "I asked you if you knew what I was having for dinner." She repeated herself._

_ "No, we don't know Princess." Droy replied, looking ahead of them. "Something extravagant, I am sure." _

_ Three other knights that Levy couldn't name joined the trio and formed a little semi-circle behind her. Her eye twitched, but she said nothing. She knew it was only for her protection that she have more than just Jet and Droy with her if she left her bedroom. With the strange creatures still roaming around the outskirts of her kingdom, they couldn't risk her safety._

_ As the group turned the corner and headed down one of the many golden stair cases, Levy thought she saw a shadow among the tall pillars on the floor below. But it was gone in an instant, making her shrug her shoulders a little. It wasn't unusual to see shadows in the large palace, especially during the summer evenings where the rays of the slowly setting sun came in through the windows._

_ The knights escorted her down one more flight of stairs before they reached the main floor. They walked her through the centre of the large open space that was the Grand Foyer and towards the dining room._

_ "Droy and I will be accompanying you inside, Princess." Jet spoke up, finally breaking the silence between the group of six. "I hope you don't mind."_

_ With a sigh, Levy pulled her arms free from theirs. " Of course I mind." She told them. "But it is for my own safety, so I understand my father's orders for you two to come along with me if I am to leave my bed chambers... Although, the extra three are a bit much."_

_ At that the Princess glanced over her shoulders at the nameless knights who had separated from them. "I can understand if I leave the palace, but I believe it is unnecessary for them to follow when I am simply inside."_

_ Her hand wrapped around the golden handle of the door and she pulled it open, not letting her knights say anything on the topic. She stepped inside._

_ The dining room was expansive, not so much as the throne room and definitely not as much as the ballroom, but it was still large. Larger than her family of three needed, in her opinion. The windows were smaller and fewer and tinted, limiting the sunlight that entered. A chandelier hung from the high ceiling, the candles that were alight on the table and around the rest of the room making its golden arms glimmer. The air was filled with an almost romantic glow, a more relaxed and calming shade of light._

_ The King and Queen were already seated at the long table, smiling cheerily when she entered the room._

_ "My apologies for keeping you waiting." Levy bowed her head a little before making her way over. With Jet and Droy right behind her, she took a seat across from her mother and adjacent to her father, who sat at the end of the table._

_ "Oh it's no problem." Her mother waved her hand. "We wouldn't eat without you."_

_ As if on cue, the door to the kitchen pushed open and chefs and butlers and maids alike came clambering out with multiple dishes of food balanced on their palms and arms. They surrounded the table, placing the feast in front of the royals without a single word spoken, only sweet and genuine smiles and bows when their gracious Queen thanked them._

_ Levy licked her lips and her mouth watered at the steaming food in front of her. The assortment of meats, cheeses, breads, vegetables, and even sea foods made her realize just how hungry she had been. She had barely eaten all day and her appetite during the past week had been replaced with worry over the danger lurking just outside her kingdom._

_ The three dug into their meals without another word to each other._

_ It was halfway through that the princess saw another shadow pass the window in her peripheral vision. She glanced towards it, furrowing her brows for a moment._

_ "Did you see that?" She asked._

_ "See what honey?" The Queen replied, carefully dabbing her mouth with a cloth._

_ Levy looked at her parents before shaking her head. She must have been seeing things. "Oh, It's nothing. Don't mind me."_

_ After she finished her meal, had a quick and comfortable chat with her parents and was excused from the table, she was joined once again by her two friends-turned-guards as she exited the dining room. No words were exchanged between them or the extra guards all the way back up to her bed chambers._

_ Levy almost always had something to tell them, so her silence on the way back up made Jet and Droy concerned. But they didn't question it, nor did they ask her why her eyes kept darting around to random corners of the corridors._

_ "Goodnight, Your Highness." They said in unison as they watched her step into her bedroom. They glanced at each other when she responded with a simple smile and a goodnight, and didn't bother correcting them on calling her 'Your Highness'._

_ Inside the quiet of her room, among the books and paper and other little messes, Levy shook. The trip back had sent chills up and down her spine, made her heart swell with worry and fear. She had to relax, had to go back to her studies about etiquette that she already knew, but she just couldn't. She couldn't calm herself because of what she saw on the way there._

_ More shadows. Ones that appeared and disappeared and ones that seemed to move like smoke in the wind._

_ She suddenly wasn't so at rest with little shadows any more._

_***End***_

Her stomach rumbled once more at the memory of endless feasts, warmed and fresh and varied brought to her on golden platters.

Finishing off the last crumb of bread on the old metal plate the Princess sat back on the mattress. After brushing it off of course.

"A nice hot meal in a cozy room with company would be nice." She said to herself with a sigh. She had gotten used to talking to herself in the quiet, chilly cell. There was nobody else there for her talk to. Her only option was herself. Plus, the idea of starting up a conversation about books and literature with the creature that held her captive didn't sound very intriguing or intellectually stimulating.

Not that she would even dare speak a word to him.

Time seemed to pass slowly-or quickly, she couldn't really tell. She had no way of telling the time- as she left her thoughts to wander. She was constantly picking at her skirt of her gown, where it was dirty and fraying and at at her own fingers, which were covered in dust and dry.

Levy didn't look much like a princess anymore. Her hair was in knots like a nest on her head, darkened with grease and dirt that she had no way of washing out. Every single blue strand was out of place which was the polar opposite of what she was used to. Her dress was tarnished, frayed and covered with tear stains and dust. It no longer looked like it was made of expensive, luxury material made specifically for her. She looked like a poor young woman living on the streets. Her skin was covered in filth, dry and cracked in places and covered in the scratches and scars she earned from her battle with the beast. She wasn't clean at all, her skin no longer looked pure and white and perfect. She didn't look like royalty, didn't look like she held any honour or pride on her shoulders.

Life had almost seemed to have left her eyes.

The young woman soon found herself on her side on the mattress, curled into herself with her back to the door that she knew was locked and probably watched 24/7. She knew that even if she could get out, she had no idea where she was or how far away from home the beast had taken her. She wouldn't be able to survive out in the wilderness alone, with more knowledge on conversing with princes than fending for herself in the wild.

Those were the thoughts that ran through her head as she, with a half full stomach, drifted off into a dark and dreamless sleep.

* * *

**PLEASE READ**

**So there it is! Lets talk about a few things...**

**I'm once again sorry for the long wait. Like most of you I had final exams for school, which were pretty easy for me because it was my slack year. Also, I had a full week of dance rehearsals and shows so my afternoons and evenings were booked to the last minute. But now that I am free from dance and school I will try to get a few chapters in this summer!**

**We got our first glimpse of Gajeel. Not much, but definitely more than the last time. Obviously there will be more of him in the future. This wouldn't be a Gajevy/Gale fan fiction without him, now would it?**

**Also, just a little note, Droy will not be overweight in this story. He will be the weight he has when he first appears in the manga and anime, before Tenrou. Just letting you know.**

**Another thing, I am Canadian so I might spell things differently than some of you might. So I'm sorry if you get confuzzled over words.**

**As you can see there is another flashback within this chapter. These will happen frequently in the first few chapters especially. Not only is it a good way to make my chapters longer, buts its cute little glimpses into Levy's life as a princess and what not.**

**More Fairy Tail characters will definitely come up in later chapters. I am still not quite sure how or where since I am writing this story as I go, but they will be there. NaLu is also a side pairing so prepare yourselves for that ;)**

**Am I doing okay with the characters so far? I know we aren't far along of anything, but I have habit of drifting off and writing characters a little... out of character some times. I'm trying to break it... But please let me know if you think I might be going off the track a little with a character, and I will try to fix it.**

**Is my writing okay? Is it too choppy? Too descriptive? Not descriptive enough? I'm sorry for any mistakes if you find it boring but please stick with me. I don't want to rush anything with this. But I also don't want to drag things on and on. We'll get to the good stuff soon enough. So so sorry.**

**Once again I am sorry for the long wait and the shorter chapter! I really am! I will definitely do better in the future and I will try my best to give you guys something long and good (please ignore the fact that sounded really dirty) in the future.**

**Also, if you are a writer and want to improve or extend your vocabulary I recommend using the site .com. It is so useful and is also a dictionary. It has almost every synonym for any word and it's so handy! Just check it out. **

**Uh, anyways, I think that is all for now! Sorry for such a long author's note...**

**I said this last time, that I say sorry a lot.**

**I'm Canadian, it happens.**

**Review and stuff... whatever you guys do... you could even you know like share it with people if you like it... but you don't have to...**

**Sorry.**

**Thanks again! If I have made any mistakes in grammar or anything please let me know.**

**~fairytailheart**


	4. Chapter 3- Taken

_**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES**_

**The third chapter is here, at an alarmingly quick update for me, and it is at least 2000 words longer than the other chapters. :3 I promised I would try to write something longer, and I think I pulled through.**

**Thanks so much for all your reviews and follows and stuff! It's not a lot but it means a lot to me and it is what encourages me to write more and update quicker.**

***huggles and forehead smooches***

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Stockholm Syndrome- Chapter 3**

It wasn't until a day or two later when the door opened up again. Or at least, she thought it did.

Levy knew she must have been losing her mind after being in that cold little room for possibly weeks on end. She couldn't tell how long it had been at all. So it didn't come as any surprise to her when she started hearing things.

Her head had perked up when the eerie creak sounded through the cell, expecting to see the scary figure at the door again with a plate of cold food. She was disappointed though to see that the door actually hadn't moved at all. Another day without food, once again.

With a sigh of defeat the princess slid down the wall to lay on her back on the old bedding available to her. She stared up at the dark ceiling, at the dancing cobwebs only visible because of the yellow light coming through the space under the door. Her hands rested on her growling stomach and her filthy hair fanned out around her head.

"He could at least feed me on a daily basis..." She grumbled to herself. "And maybe let me outside to stretch my legs... I'm making myself sound like a pet!"

With a cry of frustration she rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face into the musty material. She was used to the stomach-turning smell by now despite the fact she grew up surrounded by sweet floral scents and aromas. She was used to the dirt now as well, as it caked her whole body and her dress.

Once again Levy realized that she hadn't yet cried. Barely a single tear had escaped her hazel eyes since the day, the horrible day, she was snatched from her home.

She didn't question it though. She didn't want to. She knew that if she shed a single tear she would never be able to stop them from coming. She knew that if she let herself cry it wouldn't help her situation at all. She just knew, so she didn't bother thinking about it.

What she did question though, was why she was there. Why her? Why had that beast taken her and thrown her into this room? Why was he keeping her? What was he planning, if anything at all? Just simply... why?

That was what swirled in her forever active mind, left unanswered, which aggravated her even more. She was always the kind of person who spent hours doing her own research and finding answers to every question, after all. She craved justification at a constant.

She rolled over onto her back again. A piece of her hair fell over her eyes but she paid it no mind.

"I guess I should just... try to sleep again." She whispered to the emptiness that surrounded her. "That's all I can do..."

_***Flashback***_

_ Sunlight shone in through the window, and Levy took it easily as an invitation to go outside. Although she was hesitant knowing that in order to do just that she would have to be surrounded by guards, she stood from her seat at a ballroom windowsill and sauntered over to Droy._

_ "Droy." She spoke softly to the knight. Her hand rested on his forearm as she smiled up at him. "I would like to go outside. The gardens look marvelous at sunset."_

_ The man nodded simply. "Alright, Your Highness, just let me go check with the King." He started to walk away from her but she grabbed onto his hand to stop him._

_ "Oh no no no." She smiled widely and waved her hand. "No need. I'm sure he is busy in his office writing letters to our allies about the Magnolia Harvest Festival. He thinks it is a great opportunity to bring in potential suitors for-" The young princess stopped herself, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. It was a touchy topic that she would rather not discuss so casually. "I only want to go out for a little while."_

_ Giving into her cuteness Droy called out to his friend who stood near the the large staircase that lead up to the ballroom entrance. "Jet! Her Highness wishes to go out to the gardens!"_

_ "Has she checked with His Majesty?" Came the reply._

_ She rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter!" She answered. "He's busy and I will only take a few minutes!"_

_ Her two knights didn't argue with her._

_ The princess was lead up the stairs to the door and once again looped her arms through the males'. They both smiled at her and as usual, escorted her out of the ballroom and to the Grand Foyer. They walked in silence over the marble floors and red, velvet carpets._

_ Just as they reached the door they were once again joined by three other knights, much to Levy's irritation. But just like before, she said nothing about it. She didn't want to be rude after all._

_ The actual outside was even more beautiful than the view from the ballroom made it out to be. The courtyard was bustling with its usual activity of knights and horses and servants, talking and laughing as if they weren't at risk of anything. The orange light of the setting sun made shiny metal and armor gleam and illuminated all the smiling faces that surrounded her. To Levy, the originally plain and grey courtyard was always bursting with colour because of the people. She loved it. She loved to simply sit outside on the stairs with a book and just admire the livelihood of it all._

_ "Good evening, Your Highness." A lovely young maid bowed her head as the princess walked passed._

_ Levy didn't hesitate to smile and nod in the maid's direction._

_ Meandering through the crowd the knights took her towards the left wall of the courtyard where an arched entryway stood alone. Rimming the entryway was an array of vines and flowers, giving away the fact that on the other side was the Royal Gardens Levy loved with all her heart._

_ Once they reached it the princess released the knights' arms and rushed happily into the acres of beautiful plants and flowers._

_ For the first time in a few weeks Levy felt relaxed. Among the roses and tulips, carnations and dozens of other flowers, she was filled with a sense of safety and warmth. The intricate petals and bright colours comforted her like they had way back when she was younger. She always admired how well kept the garden was and how it screamed peace and beauty. More than once she had claimed one of the many wooden benches scattered around the paths as her favourite places to read._

_ "Oh, I love walking out here." She admitted to nobody in particular. Twirling around merrily, she almost completely forgot about the quiet group of knights tailing her and watching her every move. "It's so beautiful."_

_ "Be careful you don't trip over anything Your Highness." Jet called out to her from behind, hand constantly on his sword in case of a threat. He glanced around cautiously._

_ The blue haired woman stopped in her tracks and turned around to face the men. Her lip stuck out in a tiny pout and her eyebrows furrowed. "How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Levy?" She whined. "Honestly, it's not that difficult is it?"_

_ Looking at the ground Jet and Droy announced their apologies to the princess. "We're sorry, we would just like to show our respect..."_

_ She sighed. "We've been friends for many years. Those titles mean very little to me coming from you two." And with that the conversation they had many times over the years came to an end._

_ Levy went back to strolling and scampering down the cobblestone paths that were woven through the hundreds of flower bushes. She brushed her fingers gently over a small patch of roses and smiled to herself, relishing in the feeling of the softness of the petals on her fingertips and tickling her palms. Once again she found herself feeling soothed for the first time in a while._

_ "Oh, hello Princess."_

_ The said woman turned to her left towards the voice and immediately smiled when she saw the man who spent his days, his life, tending to the garden._

_ "Good evening, Nickolai." She greeted the man with a sweet smile, one that was genuine and reserved for her family and the few friends she had._

_ Nickolai was the head gardener of the palace. He was the one who watered and took care of the plants both inside and outside the castle, and he was awfully good at his practice. He was a kind and gentle man with hands calloused and dark from decades of work. Everybody who worked in or around the palace loved him, and the Queen especially treated him with every bit of kindness and respect she held in her heart. He always made sure she had a healthy abundance of flora to warm up her home._

_ He also happened to be one of Levy's most admired and closest friends, albeit the age difference, ever since she was little._

_ "Out for an evening walk?" The gardener asked her. When he glanced over her shoulder at the guards, it didn't go unnoticed by her. She said nothing of it._

_ "Yes. I haven't been outside in quite some time, and your garden looks so amazing at sunset." She admitted. "You take such good care of the flowers."_

_ With a bashful grin the older man scratched the back of his neck. "Thank you, Your Highness." With that, he turned and knelt down near a bunch of orange coloured flowers. His nimble fingers carefully and neatly plucked a few from their roots, and Levy watched him the entire time with fascination. He was so gentle with the plants._

_ She observed him even more as he carefully weaved the stems between one another, entranced. He stood once again and handed the quickly crafted bouquet to her._

_ "Thank you! It's very pretty." Levy blushed and held the flowers to her chest. She stood on her toes to press a quick kiss to his cheek and giggled at the pink that dusted over his face._

_ "Your-Levy, you have to head inside soon." Droy approached the girl and the elderly man. "If you wish to continue walking now would be the time."_

_ Glancing at the knight, Levy nodded. "Oh, okay. I'm coming now. Thank you for the flowers, Nickolai." She started wandering away, sending a wave in the man's direction._

_ "Anytime, Princess." He sent one back before returning to his work._

_ Levy once again found herself walking between Jet and Droy with the three other guards following behind them. The setting sun made her hazel eyes sparkle and illuminated her hair with bright orange streaks. It made her look serene, more peaceful in it's glow. It kissed her skin with it's warmth, complemented the blue of her hair and the pink of her lips._

_ For the longest time the young princess had completely forgotten about the danger lurking around her kingdom, unidentified and unpredictable to everyone. For the time being she thought nothing of it or how it was slowly seeping into the kingdom, uninvited, like a venomous snake._

_ "I would like to sit down." She spoke after many minutes of silence. Her free hand, the one that wasn't holding the flowers, pointed towards one of the many benches that stippled the garden. "Just for a few minutes."_

_ Once more the knights never argued with her wishes and stood at her sides as she carefully sat down on the smooth wood. She released a pleasant sigh, cherishing the moments of peace and quiet and warmth._

_ She was always used to a little bit of noise when she was awake, whether it be voices or something else. The hustle and bustle in the courtyard occasionally rose to high volumes, more notable during festivities and other special occasions. The balls her parents held always had large turnouts and soft music, which together made quite the noise. The clanking of chains and armor where a constant in the halls where the guards and knights roamed. She never really got complete silence, so she absorbed her opportunities to get it like a sponge._

_ "Excuse me Pr-Levy." Jet suddenly interrupted her silence. "The King, you said that he is in his office writing to our allies. Is there a war brewing?" He questioned. His voice dripped with concern he tried only briefly to conceal._

_ And her peace both in her mind and in the garden came to an end._

_ Blue curls fell forward as she dipped her head. "No. As far as I am concerned, there is no war in our midst. If there was then Father would have told me so, so I would be prepared. He is very good at keeping the peace with our allies and surrounding kingdoms. Therefore I highly doubt such a thing will happen any time soon, as long as he has the crown." She explained in as calm of a voice as she could manage._

_ It was Droy's turn to ask a question. "So, why would he be writing to them, then?"_

_ A shadow blocked the sun for a moment and the breathy beat of wings could be heard._

_ With a sigh the princess slouched in her seat. Her mother would has scolded her for doing so. "It is because... well..." She hesitated. The very thought of her Father's reason made her heart clench in dread. "Magnolia's annual Harvest Festival is coming up in a few months, as you know, and Father believes that it is a great opportunity to bring in royals from other kingdoms. He believes that in doing so... a number of potential suitors for me will arrive as well."_

_ The answer was finally out there in the open for the knights to grasp, but with their hearts heavily hung on love and affection for her, they refused it like it was a distasteful meal._

_ "Potential suitors?"_

_ "Yes." Said Levy. "Princes, to be exact. I am now of marrying age, which consequently means both of my parents are searching for the perfect man for me to wed. If they find one they will say their good byes and send me off with a man I do not love in order to keep royal bloodlines going and kingdom laws properly followed. You know, the usual..."_

_ She didn't know that at that moment both the knights' hearts broke with the realization, finally letting the truth sink in. They had both always known they could never be with her and that she would leave them at some point, but to hear it said out loud and coming from her especially hit them like a pile of bricks._

_ But they said nothing, letting themselves hurt a little._

_ "It's... A law, I guess that would be the easiest way to justify it." Levy continued. "Princesses are put into marriages with princes arranged by Kings and Queens. They're sent away to their new homes, and that is just how it is. That is how it always has been, and will be for many years to come."_

_ "But Levy!" Droy exclaimed suddenly, surprising her and Jet. "You are the King and Queen's only child. If you leave, then who will take over for them?" His eyebrows knotted in worry._

_ Her small shoulders shrugged. "I have no answer to that, Droy. I would prefer it if we never speak of it until it happens. It is not something I feel the most comfortable with discussing." And with that, the conversation came to a abrupt close._

_ They sat in silence._

_ It wasn't until they heard a rustle of leaves nearby did their minds land back on earth._

_ With hands on their swords Jet and Droy began to pull Levy back up to her feet. "I am perfectly capable of standing up on my own." She immediately snatched her arms out of their grasp. As she clutched the orange flowers in her hand she scowled at the knights. "What is the rush?"_

_ "Our apologies." Jet bowed his head. "But you have been out long enough. We must get you back into the castle as soon as possible."_

_ It was then Levy noticed that the sun had just dropped below the horizon, relinquishing it's bright light and instead turning the sky just above into a palette of colours. The rest of the sky was quickly darkening. She was most definitely outside longer than her Father would have allowed, more than she has originally planned._

_ With a sad sigh, she started heading back the way she came with Droy and Jet close behind her. The extra three knights kept their distance as usual. It as if they knew how the princess disliked their consistent presence._

_ "Remember when we used to have sleep overs?" She asked her friends. "When the Dukes and Duchesses would visit Magnolia for royal matters, remember how they would bring you two along for weeks on end and we would all play around the corridors?"_

_ The two males smiled, with their lips and their eyes, as memories played in their minds. _

_ "I remember." Said Jet._

_ "As do I." Droy added._

_ Levy took a few steps ahead of them and twirled happily. The recollections always brought smiles to her face. "I wish I could go back to those days. Back to when things were a lot simpler, when as a child I didn't have any responsibilities or anything to worry about." There was a sudden skip to her step that didn't go unnoticed by her guards._

_ The princess, uncaring of her gown dragging against the cobblestone, continued to skip ahead of them. She hummed a nameless tune as she went._

_ Nobody was able to notice the darkness lurking right behind them and above their heads._

_ When they reached the courtyard it was quiet. Every person who had been there earlier had gone home to settle for the night. It was surprising how quickly they cleared out. The only beings that were still around were them and a few stray cats sneaking around among the corners of the walls._

_ Everything was peaceful, safe and quiet, with nothing around to harm a soul. Or so they thought._

_ It happened quickly, as fast as lightning striking the ground. Levy sensed heavy pressure on her tiny shoulders before she felt her feet rapidly leave the ground. What felt like claws dug into her skin and possibly pierced the flesh underneath the sleeves of her gown. She was torn from her feet, from the earth._

_ She was screaming before she even realized it. She was frantic, flailing her arms and kicking her feet. Her shoulders were held so tight she was unable to look up to catch a glimpse of what was taking her so quickly from her home._

_ "Levy! Princess!" Over the roaring of the wind in her ears she could hear the cries of Jet, Droy, and the other knights on the ground. In the corner of her eye she saw arrows zip past her and the beast that held her viciously in it's grasp, in an attempt to bring it down. "Your highness!"_

_ It was her own shrieks now that blocked their voices. Her heart was pounding against her chest at a seemingly life threatening strength. Her legs dangled helplessly meters upon meters off the ground, flailing and searching for purchase. Obviously though, there was no ground. Just air._

_ She was filled with terror. Her throat tightened, her shoulders ached, and the fear of seeing whatever - whoever - had grabbed her made her light headed._

_ The castle, her home, all of Magnolia, quickly fell away and vanished from her vision. The earth below was only dense forests and farm land, zipping past as she was carried frantically away from everything she had ever known._

_ "Let me go, you monster!" She cried, fingers clawing at the talons gripping her shoulders. Her voice was hoarse and her mouth was dry. "Release me at once!"_

_ The bouquet of flowers slipped from her hands._

_ She started yelling nonsense, refusing to look up and constantly fighting. She could hear the deep green fabric of her gown tearing under the grip._

_ The grip that gave her enough pain to make her see black dots and knock her, suddenly, unconscious._

_ Everything was hazy, blurry, when she opened her eyes again._

_ Her eyelids fluttered. The first thing she felt was something large digging into her stomach instead of the squeeze on her shoulders like she remembered. She saw her hands and arm swinging slightly in front of her face, pointing towards a dark, stone floor. A stone floor that was... moving?_

_ "W-What..?" She tried to speak but her voice was almost gone. She had never felt more confused, more anxious, in her life._

_ She put the pieces together: the bend of her body, the swinging of her hands and feet, the pressure on her stomach, and the warmth of what felt like a hand on her back._

_ She was being carried over the monster's shoulder. The realization hit her like a fist to the face._

_ All the haziness faded as fast as she was taken. Her fists began to smack against the rock hard back and she kicked her feet in desperation._

_ "Let me go!" Levy tried to slide herself off his - it's - shoulder, but to know avail. She shrieked and hit and punched but he would not let go. In fact, she noticed that the more she fought the stronger his hold on her became. She struggled and struggled until she was out of breath._

_ How was she so... weak?_

_ The princess soon gave up and let herself be taken, well, wherever. What was the use in fighting if she would just be captured again if she was able to slip from his clutch?_

_ Like the flowers she had lost the light in what must have been the corridor was orange, a warm glow that contrasted against the chilliness of the air around her. Her beating heart and the thumping of her captor's footsteps echoed in her ears._

_ Her arms swung when they took a sharp turn to the left, and then again to the right._

_ Where was she being taken? Why had she been taken?_

_ Her breaths came in shallow waves. Her head and shoulders ached with pain. She was tired, exhausted even, and scared out of her bones. She decided it would be best if she didn't fight. She didn't know what this beast was capable of, although she had an idea..._

_ Really horrible things._

_ She couldn't tell how long it had been since she opened her eyes, a few minutes, maybe even an hour. All she knew was that she had no idea where she was being taken. She couldn't even guess, unable to process much in her mind because of her situation._

_ The beast carrying her suddenly came to a stop. She heard the jingling of what must have been keys, and the click of a lock. Door hinges creak loudly._

_ Once again, without a word spoken, he moved. This time Levy could tell they were inside a room, a tiny one at that, by the door in her peripheral vision and the dusty corners mere inches from it. She immediately felt like she was being suffocated._

_ She was thrown down on to something a little softer than stone, but seemingly hard enough to hurt. Dust puffed up all around her as she landed on what she quickly deducted to be some sort of old cushion. She still felt the pain from the impact, though, making her vision dot with white for a brief moment._

_ It was only a few seconds before she heard him move again, turning on his heels and stalking back towards the door. "Wait!" She wailed, moving clumsily onto her hands and knees in an attempt to grab onto her captor. But it was no use._

_ The figure had slipped back through the door, slammed it shut, and locked her inside._

_ It was all so sudden that the closing of the door also stole all the air from her lungs and the silence wrapped it's fingers around her throat. She felt as if she could hardly breath, like her lungs had stopped working altogether. Her chest burned._

_ But other than that, the shock made her feel nothing more. It squashed her fear and shut down her mind, even for just a short while. She figured it would all catch up to her at some point and she would break down in the eerie quiet of the room. She thought she would just have to wait for it to happen, for the tears and for the hysteria. She was numb for now, in her first moments in the little room, in her first moments alone for the first time since she was born._

_***End***_

Levy shuddered at the memory.

If she had to put the recollection of her kidnapping into a list of her horrible memories, it would be at the very top of it. Mostly because for her whole life, bad memories were the ones where she got a cut on her finger or when her little dog ran away and never came back. Even the times when she couldn't sleep she considered bad memories. She had such a good and happy life despite all the things that potentially hid behind the joyful facade. What had happened to her could so easily be considered as one of her nightmares.

And now, she was living it.

The princess stood to her feet to stretch her limbs and her torso. She heard her bones creak and crack at the movement, making her realize just how long she had been in that one position. Her stiffness was relieved though, and she no longer cared.

She heard a sound on the other side of the door, and found herself immediately interested. She shortly came to the conclusion that the sound she heard was somebody talking.

Maybe this time she would be able to pick out something, gather some sort of information about her whereabouts and why she was there in the first place.

With quiet and gentle steps belonging only to a princess she inched her way over to the moldy door. She pressed her tiny hands against it, then her cheek and her ear. She felt the wood stain her fingertips.

There was a voice... Scratch that, two voices, that she could hear through the thickness of the wood. She had figured out long ago during one of her first attempts at eavesdropping that her captor wasn't the only other being living in the building, or whatever it was. She knew there was more. From what she could tell they were both male voices, hushed and lowered so for the millionth time she couldn't pick out any words. Only murmurs reached her ears.

Straining herself, she pushed her ear harder against the door. Her heart ached, her head ached, for information. Anything. She would do anything just to hear and understand the words being spoken by the two strangers through the door.

Suddenly, she caught sight of the shadow through the crevice under the door. Then she heard the familiar jingling of keys, and the click of a lock.

With a frightened gasp she stumbled back onto the mattress, just as the door swung open. She instinctively curled into herself, blocking her eyes with her hands as the familiar figure took a step inside. Her heart pounded once more inside her chest. Did he see her? Did he know she was trying to listen in on what must have been his conversation with somebody else?

Was she, in any way, in trouble?

The heavy silence this time was overwhelming as neither of them moved or said a word. The princess refused to look up, scared to see those empty yet menacing red eyes again, scared to see the shadow.

She kept her head down and her hands up, her knees to her torso and her shoulder to the beast. Like usual she felt swallowed by his devilish aura, diminished to the size of a mouse by his gaze.

She heard him breathing, deep and steady breaths.

She felt his scaled, clawed hand on her arm, and she flinched, frozen then in fear. The touch was cold, yet simultaneously, hot. It seeped through the ripped sleeve of her gown and into her skin. It burned her. What was he going to do? Take her somewhere else? Let her go? Bring her home?

Kill her?

Those were the thoughts that flocked in her mind, so much so that she could hardly process what happened next.

In a voice as rough and heavy like mountains, he spoke, "Come on, let's go."

She couldn't even react before she found herself being tousled up onto her feet and dragged quickly out the door. The closest thing she had to freedom so far.

Wide hazel eyes stared forward, disbelieving as she was dragged ruthlessly out of her little cell and down the empty hall. Her boots lugged against the flagstone as she struggled to regain her balance that she lost when she was thrown forward.

Her eyes burned a little at being exposed to light all of a sudden. Even if it was dim in the corridor, it was more light than she had seen in the longest time. She felt it seeping into her skin like medicine, felt it slowly bringing life back to her.

But it was only candle light, and it didn't last long.

With the shock of being so quickly pulled out of the room fading away, she found her balance and jogged along behind the beast who still held a firm grip on her arm. She managed to level her breathing and steady her heart beat.

And then she got to look at him.

She started with the pressure on her arm. Instead of flesh, his hands were large and unsurprisingly, actually large talons, covered in very dark grey, metallic scales that traveled all the way up his muscular arm. What she could only assume as hair fell in coarse, long and spiky strands down his back and separated his black fleshy wings from one another. He was overwhelmingly tall, taller than anyone she had ever met and she could see thick horns protruding from his head and curling down along his jaw. There was also a tail, scaly and long that slithered along the ground mere centimeters from her toes.

That was all she could see though. His face was blocked by his wings and shadows. He definitely wasn't human.

_Be brave Levy, be brave..._

Fear or fascination, she didn't really know, made her unable to look away from the sight of him. Or his back at least. It was mostly a shape, the candles attached to the wall lighting up only the rims of his wings and brandishing the metallic sheen of his scales.

Just like when he had carried her on his shoulder they took multiple cuts and sharp turns, passing more doors along the way. Levy suddenly felt the need to know just how long and complicated the hallway was. Her fate at the end of their journey became the least of her worries as curiosity took over for a while, maybe for the best.

He came to a sudden stop in front of her and interrupted her thoughts. Luckily, she was quick enough to avoid knocking into him. She heard another door open, one that she couldn't see as it was hidden by his large stature.

She was tugged forward, stumbling over the torn fabric of her gown. She felt him push against her back and force her forward even more. She landed on the floor, a floor that was old, stone tile that chipped at the corners and desperately needed to be cleaned.

As the door slammed closed behind her, her head lifted. She was in a completely different room, one with more light than the hallway. Shattered glass peppered the ground in a corner, no longer attached to the frame of a mirror that hung crookedly on the wall. It was warmer.

And in the middle of the room, though small and slightly rusty, was a bath tub.

* * *

_**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES**_

**So there you go! Would you consider that a sorta maybe cliffhanger? Hmmm...**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is the longest one so far and this has been the fastest I have updated anything in my entire life.**

**So we got to have another flashback, but I guess this one could be considered the most important one...? We got to see how Levy was taken and I don't know how many of you would notice but I made it as similar to the scene in the actual manga/anime where they are attacked as I possibly could. Flashbacks will happen less often now, but there will still be some.**

**I know these few chapters might be a bit boring but I promise that next chapter will definitely have more in it. I just don't want to rush the story too much, so next chapter we'll get a little less 'dark cell and flashbacks' and more... uh... exciting stuff I guess? Maybe some... new characters? *wiggles eyebrows***

**Also, I hardly know anything about 'Mid-Evil Times' or whatever era you would want to put this AU in so I apologize if my uh... historical inaccuracy is well, you know.**

**On another note, I'm going to start replying to as many reviews as I can now because ya'll deserve it and stuff. So if you have any questions or anything at all (they can be related to the story or not) just spit 'em out and I will be happy to answer them for you over PM. If you are a guest, I will try to answer them in my author's notes. Seriously. Any questions at all. Or maybe you could tell me what you would like to see in the future of this fic. *shrugs***

**Hm... I s'pose that's it for now. Hope I didn't miss any mistakes, and I REALLY hope you all liked this chapter and stuff...**

**I feel like I'm forgetting something but I'm not gonna go arse-over-kettle about it so whatever xD**

**Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks again!**

**~fairytailheart**


	5. Chapter 4- Three

_**PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES**_

**Ohooooo! **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**So I am back from my week long trip, and not only did I post a rushed NaLu angst, I have a new chapter that is longer than the others!**

**I think you will all like this one, I'll do most of my talking at the end.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Stockholm Syndrome- Chapter 4**

The water wasn't the warmest, but it was enough,

As Levy stripped off her gown and stepped into the old tub, she felt as though life was slowly returning to her worn body. She could see a thin layer of dust and dirt wash away from her skin the moment she touched the water. She cringed at the sight, but it didn't stop her at all.

A happy sigh escaped her lips when she finally sank down into the water, resting back against the edge of the old cast iron. Only her head and shoulders were visible over the surface.

She didn't move for a while. She left herself alone to her thoughts, relaxed in the lukewarm water. She had gotten so used to being stuck in the cell, to being caked with the dirt that she gathered in there, that she hardly even realized just how uncomfortable she had felt.

"I should clean up..." She said to herself as she opened her eyes. "He could come back any minute..."

The idea of him appearing again, while she was naked too, made her eyes widen and her whole body shudder.

With that, she grabbed a clean looking rag that was hanging over the edge of the tub. She dipped it into the water before placing it on her shoulder. She dragged the wet fabric down her arm, slowly, admiring how clean white skin followed it's path. She could feel every grain of dirt washing away from her skin like a pebble with the tide. It felt so wonderful.

Holding her breath Levy sunk down into the water to wet her hair. Her eyes squeezed closed as she tried combing her fingers through it. She had to get it clean somehow, and with no shampoo available to her this was her only option.

It seemed to work when she resurfaced.

Although there was no soap in the old bathroom either (she had looked) she had never felt or looked so cleansed in her life. She couldn't believe she had gotten so dirty just from sitting around in that little room. Her level of comfort sky rocketed to a point where she forgot where she was for quite a while.

When the water became murky and she could barely see her legs beneath the surface, her heart sank a little.

"Time to get out, I guess." She said to herself. A little pout played on her lips. She really didn't want to get out. She was too comfortable and relaxed in the old tub despite the temperature and quality of the water. It had been such a long time since her last bath, after all.

As she reluctantly stepped out, water gliding down her body and dripping onto the floor, she realized that the only thing she could dry herself off with was her dirty, damaged dress laying neatly folded on the ground. She gave the attire a scowl.

But nevertheless, she took it carefully into her hands, unfolded it, and stepped into it. She grimaced as she shimmied it up her legs and torso. She could feel the dirt and it made her feel like bathing was pointless. She knew she had now choice in the matter though as she wasn't giving any knew clothes.

She slipped her arms into the velvet sleeves, skillfully tied the string in her lower back, and brushed off the skirt. She felt gross again with her wet skin pressed against the crummy fabric but she made now complaints. She had to take what she could get. She slipped on her boots.

As Levy stood up straight she could feel the tips of her hair dampening the back of her neck and sending droplets of water down between her shoulder blades, tickling her skin.

She looked at the door. Was it locked? Was she expected to get out and make it back to her cell on her own? Was he on the other side just waiting for her to finish?

Could she escape?

Suddenly curious, she slowly crept towards the door, eyebrows knit together. Maybe she could set herself free, open the door and run until she found a way out. She could learn to survive in the wilderness on her own. She was sure of that, the quick learner that she was. Maybe this was her chance...

But then, as quick as those thoughts came, she realized that even if it was her opportunity she would never be able to succeed. He would find her and grab her again and bring her back to the chilly cell. Her chances decreased even more when she remembered that, from hearing the voices outside the door earlier, that he wasn't the only one in the... well, whatever she was in.

She could only try. Nobody succeeds at anything without trying.

As soon as her hand touched the rusty handle, it moved. Once again Levy found herself stumbling back onto the floor beside she broken mirror shards. Her eyes widened in fear, but only until she realized that she had in fact, remembered to put on her gown. He wouldn't see her bare.

But she still felt the familiar twist in her gut and she couldn't keep her eyes off the opening door. Was it moving in slow motion..?

The figure that appeared appeared was definitely not what she was expecting. In fact, it was the complete opposite of that.

What stood there now was very small, only half the size of the beast at most. The wings were smaller and tucked into the figure's sides. The tail that peeked around thin legs was also tiny with oddly cute spikes poking out of the dark scales.

But the most noticeable difference, was that this one was a little girl, with big eyes and dark blue hair.

Struck with anxiety and shock at the greatly unexpected sight, Levy let out a shriek. She scrambled even further back, towards the wall, until her back scratched against it's stone.

"I'm sorry!" A frantic, high pitched voice called out, belonging to the little girl with the wings of a beast. She came running inside the old bathroom with eyebrows furrowed in worry. "I didn't mean to frighten you!"

Levy stared up at her in disbelief as she knelt in front of her. She could see her more now, the navy blue scales under her eyes and along her cheek and jaw, the little curved horns protruding from her head.

"Who... Who are you?" The princess croaked, trying to calm her heart rate. This little thing seemed more cute than frightening. "You're not h-him..."

The little girl shook her head and offered a kind and gentle smile. "No, I'm not him. I'm Wendy. Please don't be scared, I would never harm anybody." The concern on her face and the glimmer in her dark eyes spoke only the truth, making Levy settle and relax in her presence.

"Wendy..." She said quietly. She caught finally caught her breath. "I didn't know there was a little girl here too."

Wendy shrugged her shoulders and spoke again, exposing prominent canines among her teeth. "There are a few of us here."

"A few of you..?"

"You're bleeding."

Levy's right hand was carefully taken from where it rested on her lap, held between equally small and scaled hands, with claws not yet as sharp as the one who captured her. Her palm was turned upwards and she finally noticed the gash that had sliced across her palm. Her blood dripped slowly onto the ground.

"Oh..." She frowned and lifted up a mirror shard in her free hand. "I must have cut it on this broken glass. I never even noticed it." She told the girl. "It doesn't hurt too bad though."

"Let me wrap it up for you." Said Wendy, reaching into the pocket of the old brown shirt she was wearing. "It will get infected here. Everything is really dirty and dusty." She pulled out a bandage, fabric tinted with yellow on the edges from age.

Levy eyed it uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, it's clean." The little creature reassured her before taking the injured hand again.

The princess watched in awe as the scaled hands skillfully, and very carefully, wrapped the bandage around her palm. She twisted it once between her thumb and index finger and once more around her wrist before tucking the end into it. "There. I can change it later."

Holding her hand to her chest Levy eyed the new arrival, scales and wings and all. She really was intrigued with how a creature such as her could be so kind and adorable.

"Um..." She cleared her throat and inched away from the broken glass to prevent herself from getting cut again. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are you doing here?" She questioned. She still wasn't quite over the girl's sudden appearance yet, and just like with most things that were new to her, she had to have some answers.

Wendy looked up at the princess with her big eyes. "I'm here to take care of you. Aren't you sick?"

"Sick..?"

"Oh, you probably don't even realize it. You're very pale." Just like before the little creature took her hand, but this time she took the other one too. She gave another smile. "You obviously haven't been properly fed in a long while. I can make you better."

Her hands started to glow a soft, sky blue colour as she held those of the princess. Levy was fascinated by the light until she felt everything in her whole body change.

She felt strength seep back into her muscles, energy flow into her heart and mind. She saw her skin regain colour, noted the suddenly absent emptiness of her stomach. She felt even more alive than she had when she had gotten the bath. She felt warmth dance through her veins and destroy the sickness she never realized she had. She felt the sore tickle in her throat vanish, and her temples no longer ached.

And it all came from the little glow from the little girl's hands.

"There. Are you feeling better now?" Wendy asked, releasing Levy's hands.

"H-How..." Levy stuttered, hazel eyes wide and full of surprise and curiosity. "How in the world did you do that?"

She couldn't help but noticed the tiny bit of skin visible on the girl's cheeks besides the scales dust pink. "Magic, actually."

"Magic!?" Now she was simply fascinated.

Wendy nodded her head. "Yes, magic. I have healing magic. I am the only one of us who even has magic in the first place. Well, there is Natsu... he breathes fire and stuff but that is because of his father..."

"Wait." Levy spoke up. "I have a few questions... First, where did you learn to use that magic, exactly?"

There was a little hesitance, and even a twinge of sadness, in the little creature's eyes. "My mother. She taught me everything I know when it comes to my power."

The older bluenette tilted her head. "You mother... was she a wizard?"

Wendy shook her head. She looked down at her scaled hands and forearms, took a peek at the tail protruding from the bottom of her spine. "No, she wasn't even human."

_Past tense... did that mean this little girl didn't have a mother..?_

"She was a dragon."

If Levy had been eating or drinking anything she would have spit it all out and onto Wendy's face at that moment. She stared at the young girl in disbelief, wondering how on earth that was possible.

Then, something clicked in her head.

"Wait, doesn't that mean you are a-" She was interrupted.

"Right! You have to meet the others!" Exclaimed Wendy as she shot back up to her feet. "You asked about them just now... and they want to meet you too." For the third time since her arrival the little creature grabbed Levy's hand and pulled her up.

"Wait-"

She was dragged out of the bathroom behind Wendy, once again stumbling over her own feet. But this time, it wasn't so rough and she wasn't so scared. She wasn't scared of the girl like she was of the beast.

So she wasn't wrong when she thought there was more. Levy had been constantly asking herself whether the actual voices were just her imagination or not, and she was actually quite relieved to know that they were part of reality. She knew she wasn't going insane. Not yet.

For her third trip through the dusty halls, a trip with her not slung over a shoulder or a giant beast in front of her, she got a better look at her surroundings. It was nothing exciting, just plain brick walls with candles spread out to light up the path just enough. It was dusty and quiet. It was obvious to the princess that nobody had been taking great care of the hall. Did Wendy and the others not care for dirt? Did they not care that they were running into old cobwebs and melting wax?

Levy stopped her thoughts that were quickly escalating into thoughts of disgust. She had to remind herself that these creatures, whatever they were, did not live the kind of luxury that she did back home.

"Okay let's go upstairs." Wendy spoke up. "The others are in the dining room."

"So..." The princess started. "There really are others here?"

For the first time in a while she found herself climbing up a flight of stairs even darker and dustier than the corridor. Her heart pounded in her chest at what was to come at the very top, about who these 'others' were. She wondered if they were all like Wendy, small with the wings and what not. Or were they bigger and scarier, like the beast?

"Yep. There is..." Wendy started counting on her fingers. "Seven of us, but two of them almost never come here, like now, and another one is away somewhere."

"Okay..."

As they continued up the stairs Levy was becoming more and more convinced that she was in some sort of castle. The stairs were long and wide and her legs burned tiredly as she went up them.

At the very top of the stairs was a doorway. The same old kind of wooden, moldy door that was in Levy's personal little cell, with rusty hinges and a weird smell.

If this was a castle, it was a god damn ancient one.

"Just letting you know, you will only meet two of them right now." Wendy said shyly as she placed her hand on the cold, metal handle. "I'm here with you and the others are... busy."

Levy swallowed the lump in her throat. Her palms were now warm and sweaty, her heart racing, her knees shaking. What if this was a trap? What if they sent the cute little girl to lure her in before they killed her? What if on the other side of the door, her death lay ahead of her?

Then a voice in her head told her that if these creatures intended to kill her, they would have done so by now. She was overthinking things.

The door was pushed and screeched annoyingly in her ears. She wondered if it was worse for Wendy, wondered if the little creature had stronger or more sensitive ears. For a moment she was concerned for the girl, but she was dragged out once more before she could say anything about it.

Next they went through what could only be a large kitchen, not in use of course as it seemed to have been taken over by rats. Levy almost gagged at the sight of them nibbling on old food and cupboards, squeaking and scampering around. Rusty pots and pans hung from hooks. The counter tops were covered in old and unused dishes of silver and gold and crumbs of God only knows what.

The next doorway was an opened one so Levy didn't have to worry about any more ear splitting creaks.

What she had to worry about then as they drew closer and closer to it, was who and what was out there in the dining room. Was the one who took her from her home there, acting normal like he wasn't responsible for a princess rotting away in a cold and dark room? What were the other ones like? Would they hurt her?

_Stop over thinking, you'll make things worse..._

Just as Wendy had said, two lone figures were the only ones present once they wandered through the door and into the dining room that was dark and dusty like everywhere else.

"Sting, Rogue." Wendy beamed as she pulled a very hesitant Levy farther inside. "I got her."

Levy's breath caught in her throat when the two immediately stood to their feet and turned around. She didn't need much candle light to tell that one was dark and the other light, like night and day standing next to each other in the shape of people-like beings with scales and wings and tails.

Her eyes met blue ones.

"Ah, she's small like you Wendy!" Excitedly, the light coloured one made his way over to the girls. He had a mischievous smirk on his face, one that exposed his large canines.

Levy couldn't make herself feel offended by the comment about her size. She was too frozen in shock and fear at the scarred, blonde haired male. He stopped in front of her, his scales and other weird features visible from the possible hundreds of candles lit around the dining room.

He observed her, looking her up and down and taking her in. She could practically see the thousands of thoughts running behind his eyes. She shuffled her feet and refused to look him in the eyes again.

"Are you sure she's it?" He asked Wendy who now stood at his side instead of hers.

The navy haired girl hesitated. "We can't really know for sure, we can only get so much information out of him... but she must be. Could you step away a little, Sting? You're making her nervous..."

So he was Sting.

And she was apparently _it. _That made her even more scared.

Just as Wendy had asked, Sting took many steps back. But his eyes were still glued to her, still searching her as if he knew she had something to hide. She had lots to hide of course, like most people did. But nothing that would impact his life whatsoever.

He met up again with the other one who could only be the one Wendy called 'Rogue'. They looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation that only they could understand. A conversation with facial expressions emphasized by scales and by little hums and grunts. She knew that they must have been close. She could tell that all three of them had some sort of connection outside of their appearances, that they shared a different kind of bond than any she had ever known.

Her eyes met red, and she fell to her knees.

"Oh my goodness!" Wendy was quick to exclaim, reacting by kneeling beside her again. "Are you still sick? I'm so sorry!"

Levy shook her head frantically. What was wrong with her? They weren't even _his _eyes, but the sight of them made her cower once again in fear. Red made her shiver, reminded her of the first time she had seen them and how they made her feel, trapped and swallowed whole in a little room.

These ones though, were different. They didn't have the same impurities and shadows. They didn't have the same malice or unspoken threats. They weren't as terrifying, but they also weren't as _deep._

The one who resembled night miffed and looked away from her. "She's cowers too easily." He said in an almost emotionless voice. His arms crossed over his chest and his dark fringe fell in front of his dark red eyes.

"Rogue, there is no need to be so rude..." Wendy sighed quietly before helping Levy to her feet. "Are you feeling alright now?"

Levy nodded, wet hair bouncing over her shoulders. She gave the little girl a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I think I just had a dizzy spell, that's all." She tried to play off her little moment like it was nothing. She silently prayed she was convincing.

Though seemingly suspicious, Wendy let go of the princess's arm. "You are free to sit down you know. They might seem scary, but they won't hurt you."

_ Please God, let her be right._

"Um..." Levy looked around at the several wooden benches scattered around the dining room. It was unusual, really. She would have expected even an old, abandoned castle to have a single, large table left to rot in the middle of it. "No, I think I'll stand for a while. I have been sitting down for quite some time."

She moved over to the closest bench anyway and nonchalantly leaned against it's edge. She wasn't exactly lying about the dizziness just a few moments prior. She could still feel the little remnants of her fear bubbling in her chest.

She could easily say to herself though that if it wasn't for her current situation, she would have seen red eyes as fascinatingly beautiful.

Levy looked around at everything but the three other beings in the room. She could sense a growing tension between her and the two males, and since Wendy was in the middle of having a quiet conversation with them, well...

The dining hall was shaped and sized much like the one back home. It was unnecessarily large of course, with a door to the equally expansive kitchen off to the side. There was a single window on one side but instead of letting sunlight in it was boarded up by at least three layers of wooden planks.

Glancing to the kitchen door she was suddenly reminded of the terrible days she had spent down the staircase. Putting the puzzle pieces together, Levy deciphered that the beast had stashed her away in the basement, where back in her palace the chefs and other staff often slept over night and stored the food and wine. It was no wonder why the air in the hallways had a slightly sour but sweet smell to it.

A tiny tremor snaked through her body as she recalled her time down there. The hunger, the fear, the filth and the sickness. She didn't want to go back down there at all. She didn't want to rot away in the darkness anymore. After finally having a taste of a little candle light she never wanted to give it up. After finally being able to bathe and stretch her legs she craved for nothing more than to go home, back to the palace where she had sunlight and clean clothing and food.

At the tiny sign of burning tears behind her eyes, Levy relinquished the thoughts of home. She had hundreds of questions to ask first, a puzzle to put together.

She only had the three off to her left to get answers from.

"Say um... W-Wendy." The young princess spoke up when she noticed a lull in their conversation.

The said girl immediately pulled away from Sting and Rogue like a shy kitten from a dog. She scampered eagerly over to Levy with a twinkle in her eyes. The two males scowled, but she didn't known if it was at her or at the little girl leaving their discussion so quickly.

Maybe both.

"What is it? Are you feeling sick again?" Questioned Wendy in a voice as soft as a summer breeze. "Does you hand hurt?"

Levy's uninjured hand briefly shot up to cradle the bandaged palm. "No, I am feeling perfectly well at the moment. But I would like to ask you a few things."

Wendy stared at her expectantly as Levy chewed her lip with new found anxiety.

"Back down in that bathroom, when you spoke to me about your magic." The princess started. "You told me that your mother was... a dragon..." Her voice trailed off a little as that something, that clicking in her mind, clicked again.

Wendy's cheeks dusted with pink and she scratched her jaw with a tiny claw. "Well, yeah. She was a dragon."

_Past tense again._

The head of navy blue hair and small horns turned to look at the males behind her. "Sting and Rogue's fathers were also dragons."

At the sound of their names the bodied versions of night and day lifted their sulking heads. Sting's brows furrowed curiously and his tail flicked against the dusty ground as if suddenly triggered, or curious, about something.

Once again, maybe both.

The two immediately made their way over to the girls with full intent on investigating and getting in on the 'gossip'.

"What's this about our fathers?" Asked the blonde, Sting, resting his elbow atop Wendy's head.

Rogue spoke next. "Does she know something about them that we don't?"

For a moment Levy was able to catch a glimpse of hopefulness and expectancy in both their eyes. It made her heart twist a little at the realization that they, adults themselves or not, no longer had their father's with them.

The same must have gone for Wendy who used past tense when speaking of her mother.

Inhuman or not, strange creatures or not, Levy knew that it wasn't right for children of any age to lose their parents so soon.

"No, I only know that they are dragons." She quickly remarked before she could let herself be overwhelmed with emotion and sympathy for them. "Unless you yourselves didn't know that then I deeply apologize, but I know nothing."

She didn't care if she sounded a little sassy. She just knew she had to give them a straight up answer before the hope could grow too large in their hearts, which she could see happening in their eyes.

Their faces fell only slightly and Rogue huffed. "Told you..." He mumbled under his breath. He turned around on his heels, the tip of his large wing barely missing Wendy's head, and started walking away from them.

When Sting moved to follow him, Levy spoke out. She's wasn't finished yet, she had so many more things she wanted to know, and what better than all three of them? "Wait!"

"What now?" Sting hissed. It was quite obvious that she had done or said something to piss him off, but she wasn't going to let it bother her. She didn't know any better but she kept telling herself that they weren't going to hurt her or even touch her.

"Uh..." Levy lowered her gaze to her feet. Her fingers rubbed against each other as she nervously fidgeted. "Wendy, if your mother was a dragon, and the two of you had father's that were dragons..." She looked up again. "Doesn't that make you dr-"

"Dragon people?" Interrupted Sting. "Yes, it does."

She had put the puzzle pieces together herself, but to hear confirmation sent a chill down her spine. She knew she was right, that they couldn't be anything else. She knew that her father was wrong when he told her their whole species had been wiped out.

Now as she looked at them she felt like slapping herself. It looked so simple to figure out now, she couldn't believe her intelligent and quick mind had to find out about their parents before figuring out what they were. It was so blatantly obvious in their appearance; average human shape and height, dragon wings and tails and scales and horns that were unique to every individual. They looked like normal humans in amazingly detailed, hand crafted, unfinished dragon costumes. But they were one hundred percent real.

She ran her fingers through her slowly drying hair. She wasn't quite sure what she was feeling as this information sank in. Maybe it was disbelief, mixed in with her fear that hadn't left since she was violently thrown into the dark little room. She had been told and almost completely convinced that these creatures had been completely wiped out by her father's army.

"But... I thought you were all wiped out years ago." She decided to say, looking between the three of them.

When Wendy let out a little whimper and squeezed her eyes closed as if to hold back tears, Sting brought her into his side as if to comfort her. He still held a scowl as he stared at Levy.

"We were. Our families, our friends..." He took a deep breath to prevent his voice from cracking even a little. This made Levy regret saying anything. "All killed off. There is only 7 of us left. We managed to escape back when we were young."

They all glanced to Wendy, who had her face buried into Sting's side in search of comfort. The two males looked at each other and sighed. "Wendy was such a little girl, having come into this world just a few years before. She couldn't even fly yet, she was just learning."

Sting's scaled hand looked oh so gentle stroking the little girl's hair.

Levy tried not to cringe or give away much with her facial expressions, but in her head she felt like screaming. Had her father known that there were little ones when he sent the troops to kill them all? Did he not realize that he could have destroyed such innocence? Did he feel no remorse about killing off an entire species?

It was almost all too much to think about.

_No... _Her consciousness suddenly reminded her. She couldn't let herself feel sympathy for them, and she seemed to have forgotten that the moment Wendy wrapped the cut on her hand. There was a reason her father killed them. He told her stories of their massacres and their thirst for murder and causing nothing but trouble in helpless communities. They were once the flame that ignited her bad dreams. They were nuisances to farmers trying to make a living with their crops and livestock, and she was sure there were many more reasons behind her father's decision to kill them all off.

_They are monsters, Levy. _The voice in her head spoke. _You shouldn't feel bad for them._

But she did, even for just a few moments.

She chewed her lip between her teeth and stared at them, at the oddly shaped horns and scars on their skin and the talons of their hands. _Those claws of killed... Those scars are remnants of battles..._

Levy shook the thoughts out of her head, and decided to change the subject after the prolonged minute of silence.

"So, only Wendy can use magic?" She asked with a slight crack in her voice. She cleared her throat, a quick fix to hide her jitters. "You two didn't learn any magic?"

As usual, Sting was the one to answer, now that Wendy was feeling better. "Yes, Wendy is the only that learned magic. But we aren't useless or anything." He huffed.

"If you're talking about how we can transform our appearance..." Rogue spoke up. "Then I need to remind you that we can all do that and in that form we are even more useless than in our normal form." This caused Sting to grumpily cross his arms and huff.

Levy tilted her head curiously. "Form..? You can transform?"

Wendy nodded excitedly. "Yeah we can. Actually, you might be more comfortable with us that way."

"More comfortable..?"

"Wendy... you know that is like." The blonde beside her sighed heavily. "Are we really going to do that just for the comfort of this small human girl?"

Levy scowled. "I would like to have you know, that I am not just a 'small human girl'. I am princess, and I do not care about the difference in our species. I am pretty sure I out rank you, so keep that in mind."

She surprised even herself with her attitude, and was immediately taken aback. What was she thinking? He could kill her in a second!

"Sorry..." She whispered, frowning. "I didn't mean to sound so rude."

Both the males scoffed and moved on without a second thought. She was brushed off.

Wendy had turned around to look up at them with a sweet, pleading look in her eyes. "Please, guys. You know our situation, and I don't want her to be afraid of us. Do this at least."

In the dim light of the dining room she could see a crack in their invisible walls. So Wendy was a weakness of theirs.

She knew their bond, their relationship, was stronger and more complex than she could possibly ever know and figure out.

"Actually." She intercepted their silent conversation. "I... I would like to see these 'forms', if you don't mind. Especially if you believe I will be more comfortable, Wendy."

Sting and Rogue let out loud groans before stepping away from the girls. "Alright, fine. We'll transform. But only because we trust you, Wendy." The blonde said.

The little girl smiled sweetly before stepping back from the princess and turning to her. Levy watched them curiously, but with a small wave of anxiety. It couldn't be terrifying if they believed she would be more comfortable. Unless it was a trick.

Suddenly, each of them became surrounded bright, glowing light much like Wendy's hands when they healed her. This glow was much brighter though, so much so that she could no longer pick out the features on their faces or around their silhouettes. She squinted her eyes and moved her hand up to shield them. But she didn't look away. It was an oddly beautiful sight to behold, so she just couldn't.

The little event only lasted a few seconds that seemed to be in slow motion because of Levy's trance, and the ending result was surprising.

What stood before her now, though looking as though only certain features were taken away, were three humans.

Three perfectly normal looking humans, dressed in normal human clothes.

"So let me get this straight." Levy moved around in her spot at the old bench, making herself more comfortable. "You can turn into humans and stay in those forms for as long as you want, and you can live among actual people, but you chose not to?"

Wendy was right when she said that Levy would be more comfortable with them in their human forms. The princess no longer felt like she would be threatened at any moment or endanger, nor did she feel like she was talking to beings of a species she once believed were extinct. She almost had herself convinced she was talking to other humans.

Now here she was, starting up a conversation with them that was _almost _normal.

Sting nodded his head. "Yep. What we looked like before is our original form and we are most comfortable in it. As humans we do not feel like ourselves and we are more vulnerable to multiple things like diseases and our chances of death increase. Basically the only thing that makes us different from an actual human in our human form is our heightened senses and ability to transform."

In his human form, the scar over his eye was still prominent, but didn't take anything away from his appearance. He was quite the attractive young man, Levy admitted to herself. Same went with Rogue, despite his unappealing attitude. She had to give them that. In their original forms she hardly noticed their well built bodies and handsome faces.

Though their attractiveness was the least of her worries.

"Plus, it's pretty horrible the way the human race talks about us." Rogue commented from his seat on the farthest end of the bench. His dark hair fell into his eyes. "They are all convinced that every single member of our species was wiped out. They talk about us like there isn't a chance any of us left overs could be walking among them. They are so narrow minded about more than just that as well. It's aggravating."

Levy's temple throbbed, but she only offered a shy smile. He had his opinions, she had hers, and they were most definitely both based on bias.

"Well..." She evoked. "I'm sorry that is all you hear. But..." She rolled her shoulders and listened to them crack. "I think that the reason everyone, my people especially, were so convinced that they were all wiped out is because they knew very little about you dragon people."

Sting cocked his head to the side. She saw his jaw move a little as if he was tasting something, like there was something he wanted to say just dancing on the tip of his tongue but he was trying not to let it out. "Actually, we don't consider ourselves 'dragon people' anymore. We... prefer other terms."

Levy stopped toying with a fraying end of the bandage on her hand. "Other terms? You mean you prefer to call yourselves something different?"

"We don't like to be called dragon people. Not now that there are only seven of us left." Wendy explained.

Sting continued. "Some people might call us dragon slayers, which wouldn't be correct because we would never kill a dragon if they if the still existed. I am sure you can understand that. Most would just call us dragons because we are the closest you'll ever get now that actual dragons are extinct."

_So I'm hanging with dragons... perfect... _She thought to herself.

"Did I put it simple enough for you?" The blonde asked her. The snarky comment made her hands clench into fists.

Were he and Rogue so hung up on the idea that all humans were stupid because of a few bad experiences that they believed she was just as dumb? Did he seriously think that he had to explain everything as if reading out of a children's book? Did he doubt her intelligence just because she was human?

Before she could say anything about it though, she loud slam of a door echoed through the room and dropped it into a pool of silence. She saw Wendy's eyes go wide, her body shrinking forward as if to hideaway against herself. She saw Sting's spine grow tense and Rogue's jaw to tighten.

A familiar chill, a familiar presence that suddenly appeared in the room made Levy freeze in her spot. She heard the heavy footsteps of metal boots against the stone floor, so hefty that she couldn't tell if she was imagining the vibrations in her bones or not. She recognized the noise. She had almost forgotten...

_Him._

"Shit..." She heard one of the boys whisper.

"Busted..." Breathed the other.

Wendy whimpered.

The footsteps got louder and louder and Levy soon figured out that they were coming from behind her. A shiver traveled up her spine as a large shadow washed over her, creating a dark shape over the wooden table in front of her and Wendy who sat across from her.

His breaths, heavy. His aura, dark. He shadow, terrifying. It could be nothing, no one, but the one she feared the most.

"What the hell is going on here?"

And then there was the voice, deep and rough like sand paper, as horrible to listen to as scratching on a chalk board.

He was right behind her, so close she could feel his warmth that ironically made her more cold than before.

It was perfectly reasonable for her to be ten times more scared now than when he dragged her down the hall and into the bathroom. He didn't know that she was up here with the others. Maybe he didn't even want them knowing that she was down there in the first place. He must have had every intention on coming back to her just to return her to the horrid cellar, not to find her missing and with the others in the castle.

There was also the fact that the other three looked tense, just as scared as she felt. They were the ones that knew him, they were the ones that knew what he was truly capable of doing. They were the ones that kept her up there with them without him even knowing about it.

Which made it all the more worse for Levy.

She found her body moving on it's own accord, turning stiffly in her seat to face the beast behind her.

She looked up, and immediately met the red eyes that made her feel like venom was seeping through her veins.

* * *

**Hehehheeehhhh~**

**I guess you would consider this a little cliffhanger hmmm?**

**So we got to meet not one, not two, but three new characters. Little Wendy and the smexy Twin Dragons.**

**This is a bit messy, like this whole story is going to be as I am writing as I go and only have the main plot figured out. The editing was done horribly because I was just so excited to give you this update.**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE READS AND REVIEWS AND FOLLOWS AND STUFF IT MAKES ME HAPPY**

**I will still be happy to answer any questions, but now I have a question for all of you... Why do you think Gajeel captured Levy? WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MINDS MUNCHKINS?**

**This isn't a contest or anything, I am just really interested in what you guys think.**

**I am sorry if I drop and pick up and mess up ideas through out the story. Taking time to organize just takes away from the motivation I have to write so PLEASE BEAR WITH ME**

**So yeah, I think that is all. Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoyed!**

**P.S Go read my NaLu angst **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**~fairytailheart**


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